Operating mechanism for toilet seats



Nov. l5, 1955 A. B. wlLsoN 2,723,400

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TOILET SEATS Filed Feb. 25, 1954 j; J INVENToR. y /l/a/ WMM/7 Afm/Weyl.

substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the seat.

United States Patent 2,723,400 y OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TOILET SEATS Alton B. Wilson, Kansas City, Kans.

Application February 23, 1954, Serial No. 412,025

4 Claims. (Cl. 4-251) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in operating mechanisms for toilet seats, and has as its principal object the provision of means whereby, for reasons of sanitation, a toilet seat may be raised orv lowered entirely without use of the hands, by the use of footoperated pedals.

Another object is the provision of a device of the character described which is operable to raise a toilet seat to any desired elevation, and to retain it at that elevation until the mechanism is intentionally operated to move the toilet seat.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, ease and eiiiciency of operation, and easy adaptability for use with toilet seats of virtually any common type, size, or elevation above thefloor.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a toilet with a seat operating mechanism embodying the present invention shown in operative relationship thereto,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the parts shown in Fig. 1, with the toilet seat shown lowered in solid lines, and raised in dotted lines,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line III- III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 3.

Fig, 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 3.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views and the numeral 2 applies to a toilet bowl or water closet of common form having the usual seat member 4 pivotally attached thereto at 6.

Said seat is held in slightly spaced apart relation above the bowl by bumpers 8 attached to the lower surface of the seat and engaging the rim of the bowl. The seat operating mechanism includes a clamp 10 adapted to be attached to seat 4 at one side thereof. Said clamp includes a plate 12 adapted to be just beneath the seat 4 and provided along its inner edge with an upturned lip 14 forming a jaw for engaging the inner edge of the seat, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A threaded rod 16 is welded or otherwise fixed at its inner end to plate 12, and extends horizontally outwardly from the seat, A sleeve 18 mounted slidably on the extended portion of said rod carries an integral jaw 20 adapted to engage the outer edge of the seat as shown. A nut 22 threaded on rod 16 is operable to move sleeve 18 along the rod, whereby the seat is gripped rigidly between jaws 14 and 20. A washer 24 is interposed between nut 22 and sleeve 18 to provide easy operation of the nut. Jaws 14 and 20 may be provided with liners 26 of rubber or other suitable material to prevent marring of the seat by the clamp.

Disposed adjacent the toilet bowl is a vertical standard 28 comprising a pair of substantially square tubular members 30 and 32 disposed in abutting relation with 'their adjacent walls connected by screws 34 (see Fig. 3). At its lower end said standard is welded to a circular plate 36, which in turn is secured by screws 38 to a larger circular plate 40. Secured to the lower surface of plate 40 by screws 42 are a plurality of floor-engaging rubber suction cups 44. The tubular members 30 `and 32 of the standard are longitudinally slotted along their dis- '.tal sides, each Yslot being designated by the numeral 46.

Said standard is provided with a removable cap 48.

The adjoining walls of tubes 30 and 32 are slotted at the top of the standard, as at 50, and a pulley 52 is disposed in said slot, being carried rotatably on a bolt 54 disposed between and carried by the adjoining walls of the tubes. A cord 56 is trained over said pulley, the ends thereof hanging downwardly intubes 30 and 32 respectively. A counterweight 58 is disposed slidably in tube 30, and comprises a threaded rod 60 having at its upper end an eye 62 in which one end of cord 56 is tied, and on which is disposed, alternately, a plurality of weights 64 and washers 66, which may be of leather orv other suitable material, said weights and washers being held on rod 60 between a pair of nuts 68 threaded on the rod. The weights 64 are of smaller cross-sectional size than the tube, and washers 66 are somewhat larger, so as to engage the walls of the tube frictionally. Another counterweight 70 is disposed slidably in tube 32 and tied to the other end of cord 56, and is similar in all respects to counterweight 58 except that it has fewer weights 64 carried thereby.

A horizontal rod 72 is threadedA at its inner end into one of the weights 64 of counterweight 58, and extends f outwardly through slot 46 of tube 30, having a plate 74 secured to the outer end thereof to form a footactuated pedal. Another pedal 76 is carried by counterweight 70, said pedal having a reduced end 78 extending through slot 46 of tube 32 and threaded into one of the weights 64 of counterweight 70.

Pedal 76 is provided adjacent tube 32 with a reduced cylindrical portion 80 on which a tubular collar 82 is rotatably mounted. Said collar is provided with a pair of radial ears 84 (see Fig. 6), between which the lower end of a link 86 is pivotally mounted by means of pivot pin 88. Pin 88 is disposed transversely of collar bearing 80, whereby to provide for universal movement of the link relative to the pedal. A sleeve 90 (see Figs. 3 and 5) is disposed on clamp rod 16, and is secured thereon between nuts 22 and 92 threaded on said rod. A collar 94 is carried rotatably on sleeve 90, said sleeve being axially longer than the collar whereby to prevent binding of the collar between nuts 22 and 92. Collar 94 is provided with a pair of radial ears 96 between which the upper end of link 86 is pivotally connected by pin 98. Pin 98 is disposed transversely to rod 16, whereby to provide a universal connection between the link and the clamp. It will be noted that link 86 is adjustable in length, being composed (Fig. 3) of two sections 100 and 102 connected by a pair of bolts 104 secured in section 102, and passed selectively through any of a series of longitudinally spaced apart holes 106 formed in section 100. A rubber pad 108 is placed in the bottom of each of tubes 30 and 32, against plate 36.

With the mechanism installed as shown, the operator merely presses pedal 74 downwardly with his foot to raise the seat as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, through the medium of link 86, or lowers the seat by pressing downwardly on pedal 76. The weight of seat 4 acts downwardly through link 86 to counterweight 70, but this added weight is approximately compensated by the fact Patented Nov. 15, 1955 thatv more weights 64 are carried by counterweight 58, andthe number of these weights. may of course bev varied. as desired according to theA weight of the seat to be operated. Any small differential between the weight supported.` at the: respective endsofi cord 56.is compensated for bythe frictional engagemento counterweight washers 66 with the wallsof. tubes 30 and 32, which functiony toA hold the'cou-nterweights stationary in their tubes until ay substantial: downward force is exerted on. one orA the other through the operation ofi the: pedals. The frictional brakes on the counterweights also provides insurance that the seatwill be` automatically retained at any degree of elevation: at which it may be set, and. also. compensates for the. fact that the downward force exerted by link 86 on pedal 76` will vary substantially. as the seat is moved between the raised andl lowered: positions.

The varying angularity of link 86 relative to the stand--` ard and the seat is providedI for by the` universal pivotal' connectionsV aty each endf of the link. The. rubber suction cups 44 supporting standard 28 serve tol prevent tilting of the standard, and alsoy to prevent accidental shifting of the devicey on the iloor. The rubber: pads 108 serve to quiet any noise causedv by either of the counterweights striking-the base plate 36.

It is obvious that the device is adjustable to operate the seat of virtually any toilet bowl. The clamp` too is` adjustable to t seatA rims of*y a wide range of sizes. The device may be adjusted to toilet seats of various elevations aboveA the oor either by adjusting the length of link 86, or by shiftingy standard 28 closer toor fartherl fromk the toilet bowl. The vertical lift provided by the device may alsoy be varied by shifting the standard rela.d tive to the bowl, or by varying the length of cord 56.

While I have shown and described a specic embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that many minor changes of` structure and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as de lined by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patentis:

l. A seat operating mechanism for a toilet bowl having the usual pivoted seat member, said mechanism comprising an attaching member adapted to be secured to the toilet seat in transversely spaced apart relation from the pivotal axis thereof, a standard adapted to be supported on the floor adjacent said toilet bowl, a pulley rotatably mounted at the upper end of said standard, a cord trained over said pulley, a pair of counterweights secured respectively to the opposite ends of said cord and supported thereby, a pair of pedals secured respectively tov said counterweights, a link` pvotally connected at its one end to said attaching member and at its opposite end to one of said pedal-s, and members attached to each of said counterweights and having frictional contact with said standard, whereby to brake the movement of said counterweights relative to said standard.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said standard comprises al pair of; vertically disposed tubular guides., each. of said counterweights being slidable in, one of: said guides.

3.v The structure as Set forth,` in claim l wherein each of said counterweights comprises a mounting rod on which are removablyv mounted aplurality ofv weight members.

4., The structure. asset forth in claim l wherein said standard comprises a pair ofA vertically disposed tubular guides, each of said counterweights being slidable in one of said guides, and wherein each of said counterweights comprisesa mounting rodg onwhich are removably mounted a plurality of weighty members. and compressible friction members, said friction members` having frictional engagement with the, walls of the associated guide.

References Citedt in the le of this patent UNITED STAITESI PATENTS 

